After nine years of vacancy, a 3.5 million dollar restoration, and countless public meetings, the St. Roch Market will re-open.

Yesterday, the city announced that Launch Pad has been chosen as the master lessee for the building.

The New Orleans Building Corporation, the city entity that manages the building, named Bayou Secret LLC as the master tenant for the historic market property. The selection is the culmination of a nearly year-long search by Corporate Realty for an operating tenant for the market.

“The St. Roch Market has stood as an important anchor for the St. Claude Avenue commercial corridor for over 130 years,” Mayor Landrieu said. “Today, we are excited to announce our plan to redevelop this newly renovated, iconic building. For years, the St. Roch Market was where our citizens went to get fresh food. By working with the community, we have identified an operator that is committed to restoring the market to this purpose.”

Launch Pad, operating through a new entity, Bayou Secret, LLC, said in a statement that the company plans to bring the St. Roch Market back to its original intended use as a public market.  The company has come up with a plan to create an entrepreneurial hub for community development and provide affordable food options, and educational resources for the St. Roch community.

The market includes 6,800-square-feet of leasable space with about a dozen vendor stalls in the front of the building. It also includes kitchen and restaurant space, along with outdoor seating.

The St. Roch Market was built in 1875 as an open-air market. A renovation in 1914 fully enclosed the Market and full renovation was completed 1937 as part of Works Progress Administration efforts in New Orleans. In 1945, the City leased the St. Roch Market to a private owner for use as a seafood restaurant. The building has remained vacant since Hurricane Katrina.

Launch Pad’s move comes after they lost a bid to buy the old Louisiana Artworks Building.

 

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